Treat mental health hazards like physical workplace problems: unions

On Monday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said businesses, as well as governments and the community, had a part to play in “ensuring Australians get the support they need”.

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The Productivity Commission report on mental health, which was released this week, estimated 2.8 million working Australians have mental illness and take time off work for their health. Those people took an average of 10 to 12 days off per year due to psychological distress.

That costs up to $10 billion per year, but presenteeism – where people’s ability to function well is affected – adds another $7 billion to that annual cost.

Mr O’Brien said the key issue with workplaces and mental health is what approach the government and businesses decide to take.

“Are we approaching it because we think workplaces will be a good place to meet people about mental health?” he said. “Or are we actually going to acknowledge that work is both positive, but indeed that there are mental health hazards at work that need to be addressed?”

He said the Mind Your Head campaign, launched on Thursday alongside insurer Employers Mutual Limited, is about getting businesses and workers to treat mental health problems as a collective problem that can be prevented.

“Physical health tends to dominate our laws but also culturally how people view health and safety,” Mr O’Brien said. “This is about trying to shift our way of thinking.”

The National Mental Health Commission has also released guidelines this week for businesses on how to manage mental health risks in the workplace during the pandemic.

Manager of Union Assist Clare Mitchell, who works with complex workplace claims around mental health, said workplace mental health injuries can take an enormous toll, particularly on young workers.

“They’re all bright-eyed and bushy -tailed going into the workforce, and then these things happen, they’re bewildered by it all,” she said.

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The Productivity Commission report found 6 per cent of workers compensation claims were for work-related mental health conditions. However, the cost of those claims was also about 2.5 times as much as other workplace claims, they involved 2.5 times as much time off work, and were “much less likely” to be accepted.

Ms Mitchell said about 60 per cent of the roughly 1000 claims they deal with a year relate to mental health, but she suspects many people with psychological injuries were not submitting claims at all.

“Claims that aren’t put in … end up being a cost to the general health system,” Ms Mitchell said.